St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-12-10
The BANK WRECKER.
Mr.. Harper, of the Collapsed
Fidelity, Goes On the
Stand.
He Tries to Explain Away the
Damaging Evidence
Against Him,
But on the Wind UP Makes
His Case Look Blacker
Than Ever.
The Black Diamonds Slayer
Sentenced to Five Years
In Prison.

CINCINNATI, Dec. 9.-1nlS proved tC
be the great day in the trial of E. L.
Harper. Until after court opened il
was not known whether Harper himself
would become witness or not. 1t has
been said that his counsel protested
against his appearing Oil the witness
stand and that he as firmly insisted that
his interests demanded that he should
tell his own story. This uncertainty
brought most unusual throng of spec
tatOrs. Before 10 o'clock. the hour for
opening court. all the available space in
the court room was occupied. Even the
space behind the railing. sacred to the
officers of the court, was filled with
ladies and friends of the court, among
whom were Hon. E. F. Noyes, ,eX-United
States minister to France. and Hon. L.
E. Powell, late Democratic candidate
for governor of Ohio. At 1905 the
crowd was so great that an order was
issued to admit no more, not even attOr-
neyS, unless seats should be vacated.
Still the corridor filled, and the poor
bailitf at the door was worried beyond
measure by appeals to be let into the
crush. The parties appeared promptly,
and the
IMPRESSIVE OPENING OF COURT,
during which every one stood until the
closing words, "GOd save the United
States and these honorable courts, "
were delivered, left hush upon the
animated scene. Harper appeared pale
and anxious, his wife weary, and her
sister, Miss Matthews, wore face bear
ing traces of recent distress. At ten
minutes after 10 the question was solved
by Mr.. Blackburn calling Mr.. Harper to
the witness stand. Before he took the
oath Judge jackson asked, Did you re-
quest to be placed on the witness
Stand?'
Yes, Sir" was the answer.
The oath was then administered, and
III answer to questions by Mr.. Black
burn the witness said he now resided in
the county Jail, and told of his previous
business career. ending with the Fidei-
ity National bank, which he said he Or
ganiZed out of the Fidelity Safe Deposit
and Trust company. He smiled when
asked if he knew j. w. Wiltshire and
went OH to detail Wilshire's connection
with the Fidelity National bank. He
said that in September, 1886. he was i'll
duced by Wiltshire to make him loan
of 1000. Wiltshire at that time was
debtor to the bank to the amount of
100000. and he represented to Harper
that If this loan was not made the bank
upon taking an agreement to transfer
certain real estate and also 100 shares of
Fidelity National bank at par, then
worth S160. All went well until in Oc-
tOber, when witness returned from a
little dinner party, composed OF VIII
shire and some officers of the bank, and
found that
DURING HIS ABSENCE
Wiltshire, Eckert & Co.'S check for S26,
600 on the First National bank had been
returned not good. That checkWilShire
said he was unable to make good, and
they were compelled to carry it. An
other day, when witness was out, Will
shire, Eckert Il Co. got Hopkins to wire
100000 credit to Chicago. upon certified
checks. 1t the close of business hours
that day he found Wiltshire, Eckert Il
Co.'S account toverdrawnS60,0 900. With the
former S26, 600, their debt to the bank of
$500, 900, and their debt to him of S55, 600,
he felt that they were in dangerous
position. Wiltshire transferred to him
turned over to the bank. He stOrmed
at Wiltshire, but could get nothing out
of him. He then suggested to the cash
ier to take call loan from Wiltshire,
Eckert Il Co., to square their account
and save the cashier. In answer to di-
rect questions from Mr.. Blackburn, Mr..
Harper stated unreServedly that he
never gave an order of any kind to Mr..
Eckert to buy grain for him in Chicago,
and he was equally sweeping and ex-
plicit in saying that he never author
lied Mr.. Wiltshire to buy grain for him
in Chicago OF elsewhere. This is the
point of the whole case, and is in direct
conflict with the testimony Of both Mr..
Wiltshire and Mr.. Eckert. Mr.. Black
burn then took up the account of the
bank with the First National of New
York and the Chemical National of New
York, where large balances were car
ried. Mr. Harper was called on to
explain all the transactions. He did so
with great minuteneSs, referring often
to the books of the bank. In general
his excuse for the irregularities was
that the bank was put into trouble by
the Wiltshire, Eckert Il Co. debt. and he
used whatever methods he could to save
the bank and tide over affairs. His tes-
timOny was not ended at the noon adj
jOurnment.
HARPER'S MANNER
on the stand showed what a difficult
man he has been for his attorneys to
manage. He took the jury into his con-
fdence and talked to them with the pur-
pose of convincing them, but all the
time was transgressing the rules of evil
dence, as explained to him time and
again by Judge Jackson, He argued
his case as he went along, until Judge
JacksOn'S rebukeS began to bear the
tones of impatience. He testified a
dozen times to occurrences which he
did not witness. but of which somebody
had told him. Every question furnished
a new opportunity to him to say what
his intentions were. 1t seemed to take
after Harper's sweeping
denial that he had ever in any way or
dered Wiltshire to buy wheat for him in
Chicago or elsewhere, for his counsel to
hand him three notes, bearing the
initials 80. K. E. L. H." and ask him
to explain them. Harper went on to
say that when Wiltshire in March still
owed the bank and him those large
sums, he insisted on his selling out his
wheat deal so as to pay his debts. Will
shire said to do so safely he should buy
some that day to keep up the market,
and then he could sell out to advantage
the next day. ''He asked my advice"
said Harper, land l gave it. / SAID to
him, Make out your order to buy June
it, Mr.. Wiltshire sent to the bank this
note that he was going to buy that day
s1S0,000 of wheat, and o. KID it. 1t |
was no act or account of mine in any
shape or form. The books OF the bank |
will show, think, that he paid the
bank considerable amount Of money
the next day. had no purpose what
ever in this transaction, except to get |
the money for the bank that was owing
to it by Wiltshire"
THE SECOND NOTE